Chapter 217: Another Pseudo-Legendary
BOOM!
The one-ton-plus Bronzong slammed into Druddigon with the force of a mountain.
Although Druddigon tried to block with a move, its power was far too weak compared to Bronzong's. It was completely outclassed.
With a muffled groan, Druddigon was sent flying like a meteor, smashing hard into the wall outside the battlefield and leaving a large crater.
As for Druddigon itself, it had long since passed out, its eyes spinning in circles.
"Druddigon is unable to battle!"
The referee ran up to check, then immediately waved his flag and made the call.
At this, everyone present sucked in a sharp breath.
A one-hit KO on a Druddigon!
This was an ending no one had predicted.
This was a Druddigon, a Pokémon known for its incredible physical toughness and solid all-around defenses.
And even so, it was taken out in a single blow!
"Heavy Slam... that's a move whose power increases with the weight difference between the user and the target. As far as I know, a Druddigon weighs at least 200 kg, right? So... just how much does that Bronzong weigh?"
Someone voiced the question on everyone's mind.
As a Dragon-type, Druddigon was not light. Working backward from that, it could only mean that this Bronzong was exceptionally heavy.
As for how heavy, no one could say for sure.
"Broonz~"
Having scored a one-hit KO and successfully shown off, Bronzong was very happy. It swayed its body as it returned to its spot, grinning at Shane.
Shane, on the other hand, looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
It wasn't just because Bronzong had one-shotted his Druddigon; it was also because Bronzong's body was now completely pristine, without a single scorch mark on it.
"Everyone, forgive my ignorance... but what is this Bronzong's Ability?"
Back with the school team, someone raised the question.
Hearing this, many of them nodded. The question was exactly what they were thinking.
At first, because Bronzong was floating, everyone had assumed its Ability was Levitate.
But after it unleashed that terrifyingly powerful Heavy Slam and easily KO'd Druddigon, they changed their minds, thinking its true Ability must be Heavy Metal. Otherwise, its size and weight were hard to explain.
But now, after Bronzong took a direct hit from a fire move and showed no signs of injury, it looked a lot like the Heatproof Ability, giving it a special resistance to fire.
"It can't be a three-in-one Ability, can it?"
Everyone's mouth twitched. That would just be ridiculous!
And yet, this monstrous Bronzong was standing right in front of them.
"It should be Levitate," Bella Bai stated decisively.
"Captain, then how do you explain its size, weight, and fire resistance?"
Hearing this, Bella glanced at Basalt, who was standing on the field with a faint, cool smile. She pursed her lips and explained, "As far as I know, fire resistance can be enhanced with certain ultra-rare metals. The same goes for size and weight."
"Didn't a Secret Realm appear in the Savanna Province these last few months? I've heard that it produces a natural heavy metal called 'Aegis Ore.' After a Steel-type Pokémon consumes it, its weight and defense increase dramatically."
As the daughter of a Master-level trainer, Bella Bai had access to a wide range of information and paid close attention to events all over the Alliance.
Speaking of Aegis Ore, Bella couldn't help but look at Bronzong again.
"The Aegis Ore in the Savanna Province's mining realm... I heard it's guarded by a Bronzong whose strength is comparable to a Master-level trainer. Could Basalt's Bronzong be connected to that Secret Realm?"
Bella's eyes flickered.
Regardless, Basalt had given her a massive surprise.
It could levitate, was incredibly heavy, and was resistant to fire. This was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
The only thing Bella couldn't figure out was why Druddigon had suddenly bounced into the air like that.
She just couldn't wrap her head around it.
"It couldn't be Reverse Gravity, could it?"
Bella shook her head with a wry smile, feeling she was overthinking it.
It looked like it, and it fit the situation... but it just didn't seem possible.
...
"Return, Bronzong!"
On the battlefield, Basalt recalled Bronzong.
The assessment match was a 2v2, but it wasn't a standard 2v2 continuous battle. It was split into two separate 1v1 battles.
The purpose of this match wasn't to determine who was stronger, but to make it easier for the school team senpais to observe the new students' abilities.
Therefore, they had to ensure that the freshmen's main Pokémon all had a chance to appear.
Generally, Intermediate-rank trainers would have three or four Pokémon, but the ones raised later would definitely be weaker than their main, which is why they settled on a 2v2.
"Go, Excadrill!"
Basalt tossed his second Pokéball.
Basalt had full confidence in Excadrill's strength. He wasn't worried about his opponent picking a Pokémon with a type advantage.
Whatever. Let's just fight!
At the same time, Shane also took out his second Pokéball.
"Here it comes. It must be that Pokémon."
Seeing this, the school team members looked excited.
"A pity it's not its final form. Otherwise, this would be really fun!"
"Final form? If it were its final form, even our main Pokémon might not be able to beat it. What are you thinking?"
"That's true. But with this Pokémon in his hands, we definitely have to train Shane well. As long as he doesn't choke, he's guaranteed a spot on the future team."
The other freshmen, including Sylvie, were just watching the field calmly.
But the school team members, who had seen the new students' Pokémon info beforehand, were all looking at Shane with great anticipation.
Even Bella Bai was no exception.
"Go, my warrior!" Shane threw his Pokéball.
"Rii~"
With a light but dignified roar, a bipedal Pokémon appeared.
It looked like a shark. Its body was dark blue, with a red underbelly from its lower jaw to its mid-abdomen. It had two appendages on its head, each with a blue-gray stripe.
It had four fins in total: one on each forearm, one on its back, and one on its tail. Its claws were a single white digit, and its feet were three-toed, with white spikes on its thighs.
"Whoa! Is that... a Gabite?!"
Among the new students, a gasp of shock went up.
Although they had a vague idea that Shane's second Pokémon would be unusual, they had never imagined it would be the pre-evolution of the pseudo-legendary Land Shark.
"What's this Shane guy's background? How does he have a pseudo-legendary Pokémon at his age?"
The freshmen group erupted in discussion, but no one had an answer.
The school team members, however, all turned to look at Bella Bai.
A Dragon-type Druddigon, plus a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary... they didn't think this was a coincidence.
And if it was related to dragons, asking Bella was the right move.
"Shane's mother... she's a Master-level Breeder. She made outstanding contributions to the successful breeding of the Garchomp line here in the Alliance."
Bella thought for a moment before finally revealing the reason.
Although trainers were the mainstream in this world, the importance of Breeders, Move Tutors, and Researchers was undeniable.
As long as one reached the pinnacle of any of these professions, their status was extremely high.
In that sense, Shane's mother's status wasn't much lower than her own father, Drake Bai.
Pseudo-legendaries were extremely rare worldwide, making them coveted by all major powers.
It wasn't just the Alliance trying to get Garchomps from other regions to domesticate and breed, strengthening their national power.
Other countries were also trying to steal the Alliance's rare Pokémon, like the Dragonite and Arcanine lines, and secretly breed them in their own territory.
It was a tangled mess, and due to history, it was impossible to sort out.
...
On the battlefield, Basalt looked at the Gabite opposite him. He wasn't shocked, but happy.
He mused, "If this was a fully evolved pseudo-legendary Garchomp, I might be a little wary. But you're just a pre-evolution. What's there to be arrogant about?"
Garchomp, the 'Land Shark'? Wrong.
Garchomp is the dragon-headed mole. Excadrill is the true mole-headed Land Shark!
"Both trainers, take your positions! Battle, begin!"
As the referee once again raised his flag, the second battle finally started.
"Gabite, Draco Meteor!"
Shane was the one to attack first again.
"Rii~"
Receiving the command, Gabite gave a strange cry. It gathered a pale blue ring of energy in its mouth, blasted it into the sky, where it then exploded, raining down as meteor-like energy blasts that covered almost the entire field.
"Are you serious? You're using your ultimate right at the start?"
Basalt was stunned, his mouth twitching.
Draco Meteor. One of the ultimate Dragon-type moves. It calls down meteors from the sky to attack the opponent. After use, the user's Special Attack is drastically lowered due to the recoil.
It was an ultimate move, but it was also a double-edged sword that hurt the user almost as much as the opponent.
Basalt really didn't understand. Why would he use his ultimate right at the start?
It was like using a Z-Move to fight a starter Pokémon, or going all-in on the first hand of poker.
The show of force was there, but what was the point?
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